One hundred miles southwest of Anchorage, stand the Chigmit Mountains—a desolate and heavily glaciated, sub-range of the mighty Aleutian Range. The giants of the Chigmits, Iliamna (10,016), and Redoubt (10,197), are active volcanoes rising directly from sea level to summit. On a clear day, these volcanoes are visible from Anchorage and inspire the climber in all of us. Despite their proximity to Anchorage, these stunning peaks offer isolation and moderate glaciated challenges.

Want to climb and ski a volcano with Alaska Alpine Adventures? Visit http://www.alaskaalpineadventures.com/alaska-adventure-tours/skiing/backcountry-ski-trips-lake-clark-national-park/skiing-the-chigmit-volcanoes/trip for details!






Redoubt last erupted in 1989 blanketing south central Alaska in a layer of ash and significantly altering its north face. As of March 2009, Redoubt remains in a state of unrest and there is a moderate threat of an eruption. Iliamna however hasn’t seen a volcanic eruption in over 100 years, and though conditions change daily, seismologists and geophysicists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory have said that for now Iliamna won't be blowing its any time soon and is free of deadly gasses and lava flows.
We’ll fly from Kenai with pilot Doug Brewer and land at 3000-feet on the Tuxedni Glacier on the north side of the Mountain. Over the next several days we’ll review climbing and rescue skills and explore the area. When weather allows, we’ll ascend almost 6,000 feet from our base camp to the summit. The climbing difficulties will involve sustained 35-degree slopes and possibly some short sections of steep ice through crevasses. Our itinerary allows extra time for weather delays for flying onto the mountain, for summiting, and for flying out.